|
Roberts, G. O.
 Goronwy ("Gron") Owen Roberts was the fifth of
seven children of Edward Dryhurst (1859-1906) and Alice
Elizabeth (1867-1916) Roberts - five boys and two girls.
His father was headmaster of the school at Pont Robert.
His two elder brothers had already enlisted in the Army
when he was called up in May 1916, but he was the first
to die in February 1918. His eldest brother Meredydd
Vaughan (in the official records they anglicise to
Meredith) died in the following March and the other
brother, Edward Elwyn Lloyd, in the September.
Gron was born on Thursday, 9 June 1898, at Pont Robert,
Mont. He was probably named after the poet, Goronwy Owen. By 1916 he was working as a lino-typist at the County
Times. At the age of 18, he was called up (conscription
began in March 1916) and joined the Navy. His enrolment
form gives the date as 17 May 1916. He became a
Telegraphist (RNVR Mersey Z/2391), aged 18, shortly
before his mother's death and was described as being
5'7½" tall, 34¼" chest, hazel eyes, fresh complexion and
with a mole on the inner side of his abdomen.
The ships he served on were named as
Victory VI (November 1916 - March 1917), Idaho (Grand
Duke) (March - June 1917), Pembroke (June 1917),
Satellite (James Pond ) June 1917), Attentive II (James
Pond) June 1917), and Attentive III (James Pond) (August
1917 - February 1918). His character was described as 'V.G.'
in three entries and Ability as 'Sat' once and 'supr'
twice.
According to his sister Dilys, one night he took over
the duties of another man on board H.M. Trawler "James
Pond"; unfortunately this was 15 February 1918 when the
Germans attacked the Dover Patrol and sank 8 boats of
which his was one.. In the press report he was described
as a Chief Wireless Operator. His death was reported in
the Montgomeryshire Times. He is commemorated on Panel
30 of the Plymouth Naval Memorial and on the Dover
Patrol Memorial obelisk at Dover.
He was awarded both the Victory and the British War
medals.
Just the three telegraphists died on the
James Pond.*
BELTON, Alfred W, Ordinary Telegraphist, RNVR, London Z
7670
LAMBERT, Gilbert J, Ordinary Telegraphist, RNVR, London
Z 7706
ROBERTS, Goronwy O, Telegraphist, RNVR, Mersey Z 2391
The Montgomeryshire Times, Tuesday, 19 February, 1918,
p.2
The Destroyer Raid at Dover
Amongst the crew on board H.M. armed-trawler "James
Pond" which was sunk by German destroyers in the Straits
of Dover early on Friday morning last, was Wireless
Operator Goronwy Dryhurst Roberts of Waterloo-terrace,
third son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Dryhurst Roberts of
Pont Robert. Official notification of the loss of the
gallant young sailor has now been receivedby his sister
Miss Dilys Dryhurst Roberts. By the untimely death of
Goronwy Roberts, Wales has lost one of her young sons
who, if spared, would doubtless have made his mark for,
young as he was, he was a devoted and patriotic son of
Cymru and a keen nationalist. Of his two elder brothers,
one is now lying ill in hospital. He had only recently
returned to his work on the Dover Patrol after spending
his leave at his home in Welshpool.
NB Big offensive of 26 March, 1918, reported on 16
April.
?Montgomery Times obituary
KILLED
C.W.O. GORONWY ROBERTS, WELSHPOOL
We greatly regret to record the loss of another former
member of the "County Times" staff, Chief Wireless
Operator Goronwy Dryhurst Roberts, of H.M. armed trawler
James Pond, which was sunk off Dover in the Channel raid
on
February 15th. Young Goronwy, who was the third son of
the late Mr. and Mrs. Dryhurst Roberts, formerly of
Llanfair Council school and later of Pontrobert, joined
the Navy about seventeen months ago and received rapid
promotion, his quickness and eagerness to learn and to
help his country speedily bringing him to the notice of
his superiors. He was last home on leave shortly before
Christmas, and his cheeriness then, after months of hard
and dangerous work brought a welcome whiff of the sea
into our office. Before joining up he was a lino-typist
on the "County Times" staff and a quick, intelligent and
willing operator; and his happy disposition endeared him
to every member of the staff. We greatly deplore that
for his country's sake, such a promising young life has
thus had to be untimely cut off.
It is worthy of note that all the surviving members
of the family are either on war service or on work of
national importance. Of the two daughters one is
in the Welshpool recruiting office and the other nursing
in a military hospital. The eldest son is a
lance-corporal who has served in France for three years;
another was recently granted a commission and is
now, we regret to learn, ill in hospital; a third is on
munition work and a fourth in the service of the
Shropshire Canals Co
with thanks to Evelyn Vigeon
*www.naval-history.net |
